Sizing and shearing method and device for flattened expanded metal



M, G. vAss June 21, 1938.

SIZING AND SHEARING METHOD AND DEVICE FOR FLATTENED EXPANDED METAL Original Filed June 17, 1936 1 IN VEN TOR fV/(f/lfl 6 M755 m6? ATTORN Patented June 21, 1938 UNITED STATES SIZINGANDS HEARIN XILCE FOB FLATTENED Michael G.

United States a corporation Application 10 Claims.

the hands of the workmen handling the sheared 25 sheets.

Reference is to 40 drawing forming a which part of this specification, in

side elevation 'of va punch press my improved sizing and shearing 45 perspective View of the two sections Fig. is a plan view of a sized and sheared sheet I of flattened expanded metal made through the use of my improved method and device.

, 55 Referring to the drawing by numerals, a punch be had to the accompanying G METHOD AND on EXPANDED MET- Vass, Maywood, Ill., minor to Gypsum Gem of Illinois June 17, 1936, Serial No. Renewed May 2, 1938 Chicago, 11].,

is provided with a which reciprocates through a longitudinal slot formed in each of the flanges i5 and iii. A series of equally spaced pins 2i is rigidly secured to the bar i8, said pins extending upwardly fromthe upper face of said by pins 26 which pass through flanges i1 and Na 21 formed in the pins it, A series of equally spaced pins 28 is rigidly secured to theflange l1. Each of the pins 2i and 28 is provided on its upper end with a frusto-conical tapered section 29 so that a sheet of flattened expanded metal 30 can be engaged by said tapered pin sections 29 to cause the sheet of flattened expanded metal 30 to be changed in width-by stretching or compression as the case may be, as said sheet ispushed down onto said sections 29 as the die section I5 is loweredby the downward movement of the press ram ii. Suit able slots 3i are formed in the section i5 to pro vide clearance for the pins 2i. The'sheet 30 is thus lightly held between plate 23 and die section i5 as the ram ii is lowered, the stripper plate 23 serving to again free the sheet 30 from the pins 2i and '28 by the action of the springs when i the stretching or sizing operation is complete. The flattened expanded metal is made by passing ordinary expanded metal through heavy rolls which serve to flatten the bonds and strands from an inclined position into the plane of the sheet.

The stretching or sizing operation serves to correct these minor defects in the sheet and bring the bonds all in line so that they may be accurately sheared down their centers without leaving any jagged and dangerous points of metal which might injure workmen handling the sheets. This shearing operation can best be done at the time of the sizing operation, for the bonds all lie snugly against the tapered pins 2| which then serve as positioning pins for the shearing operation. For accomplishing theshearing of the bonds so as to separate a sheet 88 of the desired size from a sheet of indefinite length, a shear blade 33 is positioned in a suitable recess 84 in the flange i1, being held in position by a plate 38 attached to the flange H by tap bolts 38. Screws 8'! alsq' attach the blade 83 to the plate 85. A similar shear blade 38 is attached to the die section I! by means of bolts 89, adjusting bolts 48 being provided to adjust the angle of shear of the blade 88. The cutting edges of blades 38 and 38 are so positioned relative to the pins 28, as to cut the bonds ll of the flattened expanded metal exactly through their centers. when the sheet is to be narrowed in width by compression, the pins 28 are preferably made large enough at their base to exactly flt the space between bonds on the front row of diamonds, so that thepins bear against the second row of bonds during the compression, and the first row of bonds bears against the pins 28 to be cut through their centers by the knives 33 and 38. The sheetv 38 is thus sheared into desired widths, and stretched or compressed to exactly the desired dimensions so as to re ter exactly with frame bars to which the sheet 88 is attached by welding in the manufacture of shelves for refrigerators, stoves, etc. Additional slots 42 are provided in the section 28 so that intermediate tapered pins 2! can be added to the bar II to handle small mesh flattened expanded metal. By loosening the bolts i8 and adjusting the position of bar l8 relative to flange l1, different widths of sheetsmay be produced by my device.

I would state in conclusion, that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to limit myself precisely to these details, since manifestly the same can be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of the invention as deflned by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:-

1. The method of making sized sheets of flattened expanded metal, which comprises supporting said sheet while subjected to a force tending to change the original width of said sheet, and simultaneously shearing said sheet longitudinally the bonds along one edge expanded metal, which comprises supporting said- .forcing said sheet onto 'taneously shearing edge sheet with a row of bonds firmly held against a series of fixed guide points, and shearing said sheet longitudinally through the center of said bonds.

4. The method of changing the width of a sheet of flattened expanded metal, which comprises two spaced series of tapered pins, said pinsbeing arranged to enga'ge edge diamonds of said sheet.

5. The method of sizing and shearing a sheet of flattened expanded metal, which comprises forcing said sheet onto two spaced series of tapered pins engaging certain diamonds of said sheet so as to subject said sheet to a force tending to change the width of said sheet, andsimulbonds of said sheet through the center thereof.

6. The method of sizing and shearing sheets of flattened expanded metal, which comprises advancing a strip of indefinite length of flattened expanded metal between cooperating die sections, changing the width of a predetermined area of said sheet while between said die sections, and simultaneously shearing oflf said sheet area throughvthe center of the bonds of said sheet.

'1. In a device for sizing sheets of flattened expanded metal, cooperating male and female die sections adapted to be engaged by a punch press, two spaced series of tapered pins on said male section adapted to engage cooperating recesses in said female section, said pins being adapted to engage spaced rows of diamonds of said sheet so as to change the width of said sheet as said diamonds are forced onto said tapered pins.

8. In a device for sizing sheets of flattened expanded metal, cooperating male and female die sections adapted to be engaged by a punch press, two spaced series of tapered pins on said male section adapted to engage cooperating recesses in said female section, said pins being adapted to engage spaced rows of diamonds of said sheet so as to change the width of said sheet as said diamonds are forced onto said tapered pins, and shear blades adjacent one row of pins adapted to shear said sheet through the center of a row of bonds adjacent one row of pins. 1

9. In a device for sizing and shearing sheets of flattened expanded metal, cooperating die sections adapted to receive therebetween a strip of flattened expanded metal, means associated with said die sections for changing the width of a given area of said sheet, and means associated with said die sections for shearing off said sheet area through the centers of the bonds of said sheet.

10. In a device for sizing and shearing sheets MICHAEL G. VASS.

expanded metal through 

